UK: Murder OK If It's "Merciful"

The opposition to assisted suicide, or in this case, I think, plain ol’ murder, is crumbling again. Husband kills wife, says it was what she asked for and for her own good. Goes to jail. Released when he challenges. Pro-deathers in full support. And, by the way, when you hear the pro-deathers squawking that they’re not for “mercy killing” don’t believe it, not for a second. That’s exactly what they want – just without the “mercy” part, if necessary.

Mercy killing ‘so sad’

A CHARITY campaigning for a change in the law to allow assisted dying for the terminally ill has described a Sheffield ‘mercy killing’ case as “terribly sad”.

The organisation Dignity in Dying spoke out after 73-year-old George Webb, of Luke Lane, Wadsley, was freed from prison after challenging the two-year jail term imposed when he was found guilty of the manslaughter of his wife Beryl, 75, on the grounds of diminished responsibility. more

Pro-Death Documentary Wins At Sundance

Predictably, How to Die in Oregon carries off best documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. We need an equally eloquent response from our side.

Aussie Dr. Death Back At It In Ireland

Here’s the perfect example of pro-death persistence. When Aussie Dr. Death Philip Nitschke tried to peddle his brand of death in Ireland last year, he got smacked down by the opposition. Guess what? He’s baaaccckk!!! Lesson to learn: Every time we think we’ve got a small victory, keep going, they’re just regrouping.

Euthanasia association founder to visit Ireland in two weeks

The founder of Exit International, the controversial euthanasia association, is scheduled to visit Dublin in two weeks.

Dr Philip Nitschke came to Ireland last year, but a campaign by anti-euthanasia groups resulted in four venues cancelling Exit International’s bookings. Nitschke plans to participate in a debate on euthanasia at University College Dublin (UCD) on February 16 and is also due to address the group’s 60 members in Ireland - many of whom have terminal illnesses. more

Sundance Movie About Assisted Suicide Swallows The Pro-Death Line

Here’s a brief clip of Peter Richardson who directed How to Die in Oregon. I think he means well but he’s swallowed the pro-deather potion – notice he doesn’t talk about “killing” or assisted sucide – he talks about “using the law.” Smooth, very smooth.

Netherlands Moves Closer To Death On Demand For Any Reason

So goes the Netherlands. It’s not enough that euthanasia is legal for the Dutch, now the pro-deathers want private clinics to kill whomever wants to be killed – no holds barred. This is the ultimate for the pro-deathers - death on demand, at any time, for any reason, anywhere. Awful, just awful.

Dutch activists planning euthanasia clinic

The Dutch voluntary euthanasia society (NVVE) is planning to open an eight-person clinic in 2012 where people can go to end their lives. It estimates that about 1,000 people a year would take advantage of its facilities.  It would cater for people whose doctors have refused to euthanase them. Not only people with an incurable illness, but also people with chronic psychiatric conditions and dementia would be welcome. more

Assisted Suicide Drug To Be Used For Executions

I’m sure this will cause a stir in some circles, but I don’t think there needs to be. These drugs are very effective at killing – the innocent and the guilty alike.

Ohio to use assisted-suicide drug in executions

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio is set to become the first state to execute condemned inmates with a surgical sedative sometimes used in assisted suicides, a switch made as the shortage of the drug normally used for executions has worsened. more

Movie Review: How To Die In Oregon

Here’s an in-depth review of “How to Die in Oregon.” I haven’t seen it, but any documentary that features the pro-deathers prominently says it all, I guess.

Sundance 2011: HOW TO DIE IN OREGON Review

I don’t have an opinion on the euthanasia debate.  The issue is simply too personal to each individual for me to weigh in and tell complete strangers that they shouldn’t take their own lives or that they shouldn’t have to endure more pain.  Peter D. Richardson’s documentary How to Die in Oregon supports the “death with dignity” argument by showing how some people in Oregon, which has legalized euthanasia, are taking advantage of the new law. more

More On India's Terri Schiavo

The Brit press has picked up the story of Aruna Shanbaug, India’s Terri Schiavo. Here’s an in-depth look at the story.

India agonises over a nurse in vegetative state

India is being forced to confront the issue of euthanasia after the country's highest court ordered a panel of doctors to examine a woman who has been in a vegetative state for almost 40 years.

A lawsuit filed by a writer seeks to have the Supreme Court order hospital staff to stop feeding Aruna Shanbaug, a former nurse who suffered serious brain damage when she was strangled and raped in 1973. Lawyers acting for Pinki Virani, who wrote a book about Ms Shanbaug, argue that the former nurse's condition means she does not have the standard of life guaranteed by the Indian constitution. more

Oregon: Legalize Death And More Will Die

Duh, legalized assisted sucide means ever-rising numbers of people will take advantage of it. Really? I’m shocked, I tell you . . .

Oregon Report Shows Assisted Suicide Deaths Increase Again

Every year the number of people who kill themselves under the Oregon first-in-the-nation law allows assisted suicide increases and the new report containing 2010 figures proves to be no exception.

The Oregon Public Health Division released the 2010 “Death With Dignity” report and it found 59 reported deaths from the 96 lethal prescriptions that were written with an additional six deaths from lethal prescriptions written in previous years. With the exception of 2009, the number of people dying has gone up every year as has the number of lethal prescriptions written. more

Good For Azerbaijan For Emphasizing Palliative Care

Good for Azerbaijan – they’re looking to put a national effort into palliative care, as opposed to what the pro-deathers all over the workd want – euthanasia anytime for any reason.

Necessary to adopt law on palliative assistance , bioethics – Rabiyyat Aslanova

It is already time in Azerbaijan to adopt a law on palliative assistance and bioethics.

The statement came from chairman of the human rights committee of Milli Majlis Rabiyyat Aslanova speaking Tuesday at the practical seminar “Program of palliative assistance in Azerbaijan and main bioethics principles” at the Human Rights Institute of the National Academy of Science of Azerbaijan. more

Nebraska Gets It Right: Assisting A Killing Is A Crime

Good, at least in Nebraska assisting in a suicide is considered a crime – would this were the case in places like Washington state, Oregon, the Netherlands, etc.

Guilty plea in assisted suicide

COLUMBUS, Neb. — A Columbus woman has pleaded guilty to assisting in the suicide of her boyfriend last summer when they consumed a toxic cocktail of medications and vodka. more

French Protest Possible Legalization Of Euthanasia

Good on the French again (see below). Right after the French Government came out opposing euthanasia, there was a large anti-euthanasia protest. Nice to see a protest against euthanasia rather than all the protests we see seeking to legalize it.

700 anti-euthanasia protestors ‘die’ in front of French Senate

While the French Senate was debating the legalization of euthanasia in Paris today, the “Alliance pour les droits de la vie” (ADV, Alliance for the rights of life) organized a theatrical demonstration to attract media attention to the realities of so-called “mercy-killing.” more

Belgium: Kill Them First, Then Snatch Their Organs

Nah, say it ain’t so!! Patients killed by euthanasia are now having their organs harvested. Once you start down the pro-deather slope, there’s no turning back. Macabre, sick, banal, nihilistic.

Belgian doctors harvest high quality organs from euthanased patients

A group of Belgian doctors are harvesting “high quality” organs from patients who have been euthanased. This is not a secret project, but one which they described openly at a conference organised by the Belgian Royal Medical Academy in December. more

French Government Pro-Deather Smack-Down

Good for the French Government, who have taken a stand against the French pro-deathers. Hopefully they won’t begin to fold as easily as the UK seems to be doing.

French government opposes bill to legalize assisted suicide

The French government is opposing two bills under consideration in the country’s Senate to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. more

India's Terri Schiavo: Hospital Staff Want Her To Live

While the legal eagles and doctors seek to establish whether India’s Terri Schiavo should be euthanized, the hospital staff who work with her are absolutely for her continuing to live. Should tell the politicos a lot, but I doubt that it will really matter in the end.

KEM Hospital staff wants Aruna Shanbaug to live

While the debate on euthanasia is back in the spotlight with the apex court’s directive, staff at KEM Hospital is resisting mercy killing of Aruna Shanbaug, who has been admitted to ward no 4 of the hospital since 38 years. more

New Poll Shows Pro-Deather Influence In US Debate

If this is an accurate poll, it’s pretty discouraging to see how much the pro-deathers have influenced the national debate around assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Large Majorities Support Doctor Assisted Suicide for Terminally Ill Patients in Great Pain

A new Harris/BBC World News America poll finds that large majorities of Americans now favor physician assisted suicide and euthanasia for terminally ill patients in great pain who wish to end their lives. It also finds that a majority of people over 65 now have written directives regarding the type of care they would like to receive, or not to receive, at the end stages of their lives. more

Suicide A Human Right? Really?

In an era when everything seems to be a “human right” aren’t we oh-so-lucky that the European Court considers suicide a “human right?” As long as you do it yourself, of course.

Suicide a ‘human right,’ but not state assisted suicide: European Court of Human Rights

In a high-profile assisted suicide case, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that while there is a “human right” to suicide, the state has no obligation to provide citizens with the means to commit suicide. more

Sundance Movie About Suicide Appears To Touch All The Pro-Death Stereotypes

There was quite a buzz several months ago when the Sundance Film Festival announced “How to Die in Oregon,” a documentary about assisted suicide. It’s being screened now at the festival and is apparently pretty gritty. Guess what? It’s framed as a “dignity” issue, and that the subject of the film (this from her son) killed herself because she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. Oh, aren’t we so lucky to once again have the privilege of listening to the pro-death whine?

Unflinching End-of-Life Moments

PARK CITY, Utah — Most screenings at the Sundance Film Festival here are mob scenes — half-frozen film lovers in a mad dash for limited seating, reporters skittering around in search of news nuggets, agents pacing the aisles.

None of that hubbub was on display at the Sunday premiere of what is without question one of the most difficult-to-watch movies of the festival, this year or any year: “How to Die in Oregon,” a documentary from Peter D. Richardson about physician-assisted suicide. The film opens with a man dying of cancer on camera. more

India's Terri Schiavo To Be Examined - Euthanasia To Follow?

I posted yesterday about India’s Terri Schiavo. She’s been in a persistent unresponsive state for many years, but now some are pushing for her to be euthanized. We’ll see what happens after the panel of 3 medical experts has examined her.

SC sends medical team to nurse over euthanasia

New Delhi, Jan. 24: The Supreme Court today directed a three-member medical team to examine a Mumbai nurse, who has been in a coma for 36 years after a murderous rape attempt, following a plea to take her off life support so she could die peacefully.

A two-judge bench of Justices Markandey Katju and Gyansudha Mishra said it felt “like a ship in an uncharted sea” and also sought the attorney-general’s response even as it appointed an amicus curiae to help it with the “delicate” issue. more

India's Terri Schiavo Case

So, it looks like India has it’s own Terri Schiavo to deal with.

Euthanasia debate: Panel to probe Aruna's state

New Delhi: The euthanasia debate is back with the Supreme Court on Monday directing a three-member committee of doctors to look into the physical and mental status of nurse Aruna Shanbaug who has been lying comatose for the past 38 years in Mumbai's King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital. more

Now A Pro-Death Poster Boy From South Africa

So it goes: Son, respected South African professor, travels to New Zealand to help his mom kick the bucket. Gets nabbed by Kiwi authorities. No he’s the subject of a South Africa documentary on assisted sucide. Wanna bet that the conclusion will be pro-death?

TV tackles controversial mercy killing

TOMORROW night Special Assignment tackles the controversial issue of euthanasia.

Called A Time to Die, the show will be broadcast at 8.30pm on SABC3.

Euthanasia or mercy killing is an issue that most people do not feel comfortable to talk about. more

For Once, A Euthanasia Art Exhibit That's Worthy

When I firth saw this heading, I thought it was another sicko exhibit in praise of death and organized by pro-deathers. I was wrong. Read on:

"Cause of Death: Euthanasia" art exhibit held in Athens

A visitor looks at a painting by Gertrud Fleck at the "Cause of Death: Euthanasia" exhibition at Benaki museum in Athens January 20, 2011. The 96 works on display from the Prinzhorn collection were created by 18 artists who were mental patients and victims of the Nazis euthanasia programme in 1939-1944. more

Alive and Kicking: Disabled And Medically Vulerable Will Be The First...

Alive and Kicking: Disabled And Medically Vulerable Will Be The First...: "Yes, it’s true, the medically vulnerable and disabled will, indeed, be targets if assisted sucide or euthanasia are legalized. That’s wha..."

Dutch Move Closer To Death On Demand For Any Reason

So goes the slippery slope in the Netherlands. After a survey last year found that many elderly Dutch, even if in perfectly good health, wanted a mechanism to kill themselves just because they were “tired of living,” they’re actually going ahead, as this piece points out.

Euthanasia society calls for clinic to help people end their lives

The Dutch voluntary euthanasia society is looking for a partner to open a special clinic later next year where people can go to end their lives, the Volkskrant reports.

The NVVE says its research shows some hospitals and hospices are prepared to back a clinic, which would help around 1,000 people a year to die. People suffering incurable physical complaints, chronic psychiatric conditions and dementia could turn to the centre if their own doctors are not responsive to their wish to end their lives. more

Assisted Suicide & The Elderly In Switzerland: Take Out The Trash

Here's a fairly balanced spotlight on the Swiss and assisted suicide. Whichever side you come down on, it's clear that if you are old, you're dispensable, just like the trash. Heart breaking.